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The Community for Creative Expression is a vibrant and inspiring Living Learning Community (LLC) designed for students passionate about exploring their creativity through music, art, theatre, dance, and other forms of expression. Open to students from all disciplines, this community celebrates diverse perspectives and fosters collaboration across creative fields.

Residents living in the Community for Creative Expression thrive in an atmosphere that encourages artistic growth, innovation, and self-expression. Students will have access to unique opportunities such as attendance at GU or Spokane community performances and gallery exhibitions. Whether you're composing music, designing visual art, choreographing a dance, or crafting a new theatrical production, the Community for Creative Expression is a supportive space to experiment, connect, and grow.

In addition to creative development, the community promotes a sense of unity and belonging through social events and shared experiences that celebrate the arts. Students will have opportunities to engage in conversations about the role of creativity in society, personal identity, and professional development, preparing them to share their artistic vision with the world.

If you’re ready to immerse yourself in a dynamic community that values creative expression and collaboration, the Community for Creative Expression is the perfect home for you!

	The Community for Creative Expression 1st Year LLC is located in Coughlin Hall		The Community for Creative Expression 1st Year LLC is tentatively located on the 3th Floor
	1st Year Community for Creative Expression LLC residents can only be roommates with residents in the following LLCs: Community for Creative Expression LLC Business LLC Health Professions LLC		Linked Course Required for LLC Residents: THEA 193 Theater and Neurodivergence Faculty: Blake Edwards

Great for Students Who...

• Are 1st Years pursuing any degrees/major that is creative! This could include but is not limited to majoring in Music, Art, Theatre, Dance and more!
• Are 1st Years minoring in a creative discipline at GU
• Want to live in community with other Zags that regularly engage in various forms of the arts and are involved on campus in creative extra-curriculars
• Incoming Zags regardless of major that plan on being involved in theatre & dance shows, music ensembles, art exhibitions and more in their first year
• 1st Years that want to join some of Gonzaga's clubs and organizations that support the arts and creativity across a wide variety of creative expressive outlets

Community for Creative Expression LLC Leadership & Campus Partners

The Community for Creative Expression LLC for 1st years has several partners involved in the community to include Gonzaga º£½ÇÂÛ̳'s Dance, Theater, and Fine Arts programs. 

• Faculty Fellow -  Blake Edwards

Meet Creative Expression's Faculty Fellow...

Blake Edwards: Blake Edwards is a Lecturer in the Department of Theatre & Dance. At Gonzaga, he has directed A Midsummer Night's Dream (2022), pool (no water) (2023), The Odyssey (2024), Tartuffe (2024), Stupid F**king Bird (2025), and The Tempest (2026). Some of his research is devoted to exploring the Hunter Heartbeat Method - theatrical games designed for children on the autism spectrum - and how it can be utilized as essential training and foundational skill-building for all young performers. He holds a BA in English from Yale º£½ÇÂÛ̳, as well as MFAs in both Acting (Ohio State º£½ÇÂÛ̳) and Theatre for Youth (Arizona State º£½ÇÂÛ̳). In his spare time he collects other degrees.

Community Learning Outcomes:

1. Inclusive Community Building: Build inclusive communities and professional networks that promote equity, diversity, and belonging by fostering meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, and industry professionals.
2. Purposeful Pathways: Explore personal, academic, and career pathways by identifying goals, reflecting on values, and developing action plans that support lifelong learning and purposeful engagement.
3. Cultivating Capacity: Cultivate leadership, creativity, and critical thinking skills to contribute meaningfully to the Gonzaga and greater Spokane communities.
4. Enhance Creative Skills and Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Explore and develop artistic talents in music, art, theatre, dance, and other creative forms while collaborating with peers from diverse disciplines to create innovative projects and performances.

5. Build a Supportive Creative Community: Foster meaningful connections with fellow residents, faculty, and local artists to cultivate an inclusive and inspiring environment that celebrates diverse perspectives and creative expression.

6. Develop Artistic Identity and Professional Goals: Reflect on the role of creativity in personal growth and society, while setting and pursuing academic, artistic, and professional goals that align with individual passions and career aspirations.

º£½ÇÂÛ̳ the Linked Course: 

THEA 193, FYS: Theatre & Neurodivergence, LLC.  An ensemble-based interdisciplinary service-learning course in which students are trained in the Hunter Heartbeat Method, a series of theatrical games originally designed by Kelly Hunter (formerly of the Royal Shakespeare Company) to remediate common difficulties for children on the autism spectrum. This work has since been developed as essential training and foundational skill-building for all performers, and provides an embodied, physical “vocabulary” that is inclusive of members of neurodiverse communities. While students will be engaged in performance, this is not specifically an acting course, as students will engage with the course material through the lens of their own primary field of study. No prior experience with Shakespeare or theatre is required." Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Instructor: Edwards